The Philippines’ IT and business process management (IT-BPM) sector remains a major pillar of the economy, generating US$38 billion in 2024 — about 8% of GDP — and employing 1.8 million people, or 3.8% of the workforce.

Chen has a backstory that would work well for a film. At 13, he left Taiwan for Vienna. His parents stayed behind as he entered a rigorous training system—the kind few young musicians today would be expected to endure. “My parents basically had no idea what I was doing,” Chen said. “In the first ten years, I only made two phone calls a year. Letters back and forth would take months,” he recalled.

如果中國打來，我們不會接
“If China ‘calls,’ we won’t answer.”

The STJSC emphasized that institutional support is vital for ensuring that global experts can “root themselves” in Taiwan, a theme also highlighted on the Talent Taiwan website: “Taiwan is no longer just looking for ‘workers’—it is looking for residents.”

Some objected to the idea of Fubin Village (福檳里), fearing the neighborhood would be nicknamed “Betel Nut Village.”

The centerpiece of the 2026 program is a major autumn retrospective of British conceptual art pioneer Michael Craig-Martin, marking his first large-scale solo exhibition in Asia.

Hsu has built a growing international reputation through cross-cultural jazz projects, composition, and performance, frequently collaborating with musicians across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. His invitation to the Festival Internacional Jazz Plaza places Taiwan on a stage traditionally dominated by North American, Caribbean, and Latin American jazz figures.

By julia | The News Lens | January 24, 2026 Taipei Metro (Taipei MRT) has announced that passengers are prohibited from using…

In 2025, the Philippines ranked second among 123 non–English-speaking countries in an English proficiency index. However, as neighboring Asian countries invest heavily in English education and artificial intelligence reshapes language learning, the Philippine ESL industry faces new competition. Even so, from social media influencers to retirees and entire families, the Philippines continues to hold a strong position in the regional English-learning market.

Data compiled by United Daily News from the Judicial Yuan shows that between 2021 and 2025, most cases referred by police under SOMA were dismissed. Court rulings indicate that judges believe the public generally has the ability to judge information credibility and that political speech should be addressed through government fact-checking, not punishment.